"
"Have I got to tell him he's a little three-penny King?" said
Stedman, plaintively.
" No; you needn't give a literal translation; it can be as
free as you please."
"Thanks," said the secretary, humbly.
"And tell him," continued Gordon, "that we will give presents
to him and his warriors if he keeps away from Ollypybus, and
agrees to keep away always. If he won't do that, try to get
him to agree to stay away for three months at least, and by
that time we can get word to San Francisco, and have a dozen
muskets over here in two months; and when our time of
probation is up, and he and his merry men come dancing down
the hillside, we will blow them up as high as his mountains.
But you needn't tell him that, either. And if he is proud and
haughty, and would rather fight, ask him to restrain himself
until we show what we can do with our weapons at two hundred
yards."
Stedman seated himself in the long grass in front of the King,
and with many revolving gestures of his arms, and much
pointing at Gordon, and profound nods and bows, retold what
Gordon had dictated. When he had finished, the King looked at
the bundle of presents, and at the guns, of which Stedman had
given a very wonderful account, but answered nothing.
Pages:
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63